Legacy of the Light
by The Mysterious Puppeteer
Summary: When Trueman conducted his siege of Domino city and the world, Jaden Yuki wasn't the only one to resist. There others, ones that he could never defeat...
1. Dawn of the Duel

**This story was inspired by the scene in Yu Gi Oh! GX, when all the names on the building lists vanished, leaving behind just one name: Seto Kaiba. This occurs at the height of the Trueman siege, when nearly the entire of Domino, Duel Academy, and the world have been taken to the World of Darkness.**

** Also, I have taken a few creative liberties with the cards; some may exist, some not; others, are treated as having slightly different effects. There are no Tuner or Synchro monsters; any Tuner monsters are treated as Effect Monsters.**

** Happy reading!**

"Look, I don't really care. No matter how well SchroederCorp products are selling, it's nowhere near the assets and reputation that KaibaCorp has amassed over the years. Do you here me? Hello?" Abruptly, silence. "Hello?" Still no answer but static. Did his agent really just hang up on him? Seto Kaiba rolled his eyes to high heaven and turned the phone off. No matter how hard that idiot Zigfried Schroeder might try, he would never be able to make his company as powerful or as influential as Kaiba had made his. Already, his company's power extended far beyond the sport of dueling and reached into virtually every investment in the world. Hence his current headache.

Currently, Kaiba was trying his best to organize a new tournament that was to be held soon, but he kept being interrupted with other pointless activities. He glanced fondly at the dueldisk and deck that he kept in his office at all times; they were a reminder of the wonders of life. Dueling had always been his first love – but he hadn't dueled for months now. As CEO of KaibaCorp, he was literally the most well-known face in the entire world. Well, besides Yugi, of course – but that was nothing new.

Sometimes, he found himself longing for the days that he had once had, ten years ago, with the mystic energies of Egypt and the might of the Orichalkos wrecking havoc in his life. Then, he had known he had been _doing _something; now, he was just a puppet master, reduced to manipulating others in order to get things done.

Then, from beneath him, a roar sounded, and the floor vibrated slightly. Kaiba rolled his eyes. There was a special dueling room in the building; why did the staff persist in using rooms beneath _his_ office to conduct their battles? He had thought that he had hammered that point home by now. Ah, well. Maybe it was time for a reeducation class.

"Roland?" Kaiba called. Roland's office was right outside Kaiba's. Over the years, his dogged loyalty and steadfast prescence and helping hands had led Kaiba to place more and more responsibility in him. Next to Kaiba himself, Roland now had the most authority in the KaibaCorp building.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba, sir?" Despite Kaiba's frequent requests that he drop that title, Roland persisted in that formality.

"Sounds like the staff are dueling in the conference rooms again. Mind setting them straight?" With Roland, his longtime bodyguard and friend, Kaiba was slightly less abrupt than he might be with others.

"Yes, sir." He heard Roland walk down the stairs, and continued his work.

Not five minutes later, another colossal explosion shook the office. Kaiba let out a hiss of exasperation; Roland rarely failed. He should probably demote the culprit and make an example out of him; the staff needed to be taught that the rules were to be obeyed.

But honestly, how hard was it to just use the arena for dueling? Kaiba had thought he had hired intelligent personnel. Apparently not.

With a world-weary sigh, Kaiba got out of his chair. But before he could go three steps, the door exploded off its hinges. He shielded his face as splinters of wood flew everywhere.

"Seto Kaiba. You have become an obstacle to be removed." Standing in the doorway was a tall man with yellowish white skin, deep lines around the mouth, and wearing a thick black suit, complete with orange lining and spikes protruding from the shoulders.

"Who are you – and what the heck are you doing in _my _office?" Kaiba growled. It would take ages to return the office to its pristine state, and, quite frankly, he didn't have ages.

"I am Trueman. Duel me, Seto Kaiba," the man said, a sneer curling along the ridges of his face.

"I don't know what you hope to gain, but if it's a duel you want, I'm all too willing to oblige." Kaiba reached over to his desk and slid his dueldisk onto his arm. The device hummed with energy, and Kaiba stood a little taller. He felt powerful again. It had been far too long.

"Before we start, what did you do with my workers?" Kaiba asked. "This is an important business, you know – I can't afford to give them any time off." Beneath his sarcastic and scathing tones, Kaiba hid a tinge of worry. He had never seen anyone like this man, and doubted that the staff would just let them waltz up to his office. They would've tried to stop him. Kaiba recalled the explosions from earlier, and a sickening sense of dread grew in his stomach.

"I have sent them to the World of Darkness. You will join them soon." Trueman brought his arm up, and with a dry crackling noise, darkness pooled around his arm to form a dueldisk. "I'll start – with the Dark Archetype, in Attack Mode!" With a roar, a deformed and patchwork beast reared up, its squat, ugly body filling the room. A pile of reports on Kaiba's desk spiraled to the ground from the mere force of its prescence.

Kaiba frowned in annoyance. "It took my managers days to compile those reports. And, if they're in the Shadowrealm like you said, I'll have to do them all myself. That's a week, minimum, of sorting papers. Congratulations, Trueman. You have officially become a royal pain in the neck."

"Not the Shadowrealm; I am not ruled by Zorc. I speak of the World of Darkness, ruled by Nightshroud. But don't listen to me; you will experience it soon enough. I play two cards face down. Your move, Seto Kaiba." This man couldn't be an expert. Otherwise, he would've realized who and what he was up against, and wouldn't play a monster with 1400 attack in attack mode. Only fools would play _that _against Seto Kaiba.

"Draw!" Perfect. Kaiba inspected his hand. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Future Fusion!" Light flared around the office, colored patterns flickering through the room. "This card allows me to send cards listed on a Fusion monster to the grave. I choose the Five-Headed Dragon, and send one Totem Dragon, one Blue Eyes White Dragon, and three White Stones of Legend to the grave. Then, in two turns, my Five-Headed Dragon will emerge." The five dragons appeared in midair, and gradually were pulled into the center of the swirling vortex. Kaiba watched them, a slight smile curling the side of his mouth.

"Next, I activate the power of my White Stones of Legend from the grave. When one is sent to the graveyard, I can add one 'Blue Eyes White Dragon' from my deck to my hand. And since I sent three, I get three Blue Eyes – two, since I just sent one to the grave with my Fusion. " Kaiba reached into his deck and pulled out two cards, savoring the power and warmth he felt from them, inanimate as they were in their current state. "Now, I activate the Spell Card, Ancient Rules!" A scroll materialized from the air, opening to reveal papyrus covered in ancient hieroglyphs. Predominately featured was a white dragon. "I can use this card to Special Summon a Normal monster from my hand. The one I choose is the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

With its unmistakable roar, the dragon materialized in the room. Although similar in size to the Dark Archetype, its every particle radiated raw power, from the streamlined ridges of its smooth scales to the jagged points of its teeth. Kaiba laughed in exhilaration, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon roared its challenge to the black-clothed figure in the room.

"Enough for now. I play two cards face down. You're up, Trueman." Trueman frowned in bemusement, and Kaiba smirked. He had faced down his share of psycho maniacs in his time, and he had learned a simple fact: they want you to attack and destroy whatever abomination they have out at the time. Kaiba was perfectly willing to take his time and wait and see what Trueman did next. After all, he was well prepared.

"I call out the Yomi Ship, in Attack Mode." A canoe like boat sprang into the air, four tiny oars milling in the air around it. It had 800 Attack, and 1200 Defense. Kaiba raised his eyebrow.

"Next, I'll have my Dark Archetype attack. Go, my beast!" The misshapen fiend leapt for the dragon, and the dragon sent a burst of white lightning to meet it. Trueman smiled.

"Go, facedown card; Forbidden Chalice!" Trueman's smile abruptly disappeared, while Kaiba's smirk grew larger. "It increases a monster's attack by 400 points – then negates its effect until the End Phase. So – attacking, were you?"

Trueman snarled in rage, and the Blue Eyes unleashed a devastating blast of blue energy that caught the monster in midair. Dark Archetype was gone, as if it had never been, and the blast of lightning shot towards Trueman…

"Go, Spirit Barrier!" A shimmering barrier of light shot out of the Trap Card to encircle Trueman, and the lightning detonated harmlessly. "This Continuous Trap Card permits me to ignore all Battle Damage dealt to me while I have a monster on the field. Next, I activate my facedown card: Stronghold, the Moving Fortress!" The floor split, and an immense mechanical humanoid's torso towered up behind Trueman. Its head brushed the ceiling, while everything below its chest disappeared underneath the floor. "This Continuous Trap Card allows me to summon my monster in Defense Position, and with 2000 Defense, it will be difficult to destroy."

"You do realize that my Blue Eyes has 3000 Attack Points, right?" asked Kaiba skeptically. This man just was not making sense.

Trueman ignored him. "Especially once I activate my Yomi Ship's effect. When a monster destroys it by battle, I can destroy the monster that destroyed my ship. In addition, thanks to my Spirit Barrier, I do not take any Battle Damage, thanks to my Stronghold's prescence on the field. Go, Yomi Ship, and take the Blue Eyes down!" The ship's oars rowed frantically, and the ship rammed full into the Blue Eyes. The dragon sent a blast of lightning to meet it, and the resulting explosion threw Kaiba off his feet. When he turned to look, both monsters were gone.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card, Double Summon. This allows me to conduct an additional summon this turn, and I choose the Summoner Monk!" A squat, bearded dwarf knelt in Defense Mode, with a measly 1600 points to protect itself. "When this card is on the field, I can discard a Spell Card in order to call out a level four or lower monster from my deck – like the Wall of Illusion, in Attack mode!" A dark purple and red mass of hair and thread appeared, similar to a tapestry. But tapestries did not have blood-smeared faces or dead eyes like this one. "Your move, Seto Kaiba. And with three monsters on my field, none on yours, and my Spirit Barrier still in play, you won't last long," Trueman declared.

Kaiba sighed. "You have no facedowns, no cards in your hand, and no firepower to back up your threats. I left myself with plenty of resources – and an infinitely more powerful deck than yours. But don't take my word for it – let me show you. I draw, and I now hold four cards, Trueman – four more than you. I have a Five-Headed dragon emerging next turn that will crush you like a fly – if you survive till then. I also have one facedown, which one more than you have. I also have one Totem Dragon in my grave – which I now resurrect! Come forth!" The tiny dragon emerged, hissing at Trueman with all the menace its 400 Attack points could muster. "I can bring this monster back to the field if I have only Dragon-Type monsters in my graveyard. Next, I sacrifice it – and it counts for two Tributes for the summoning of a Dragon-Type Monster, such as…say… the Blue Eyes White Dragon!" The tiny green dragon dissolved into golden dust, which abruptly swirled and reformed into the Blue Eyes, which roared its fury at Trueman.

He shrugged. "I defeated that beast once. Why should now be any different?

"Because last time, there was only one to deal with," Kaiba answered. "How will you deal with _two_? I reveal my facedown card, Birthright! It allows me to resurrect a Normal monster in my grave – like the Blue Eyes White Dragon!" A second shining white dragon reared up next to the first, roaring its fury at Trueman for its defeat. "Next, I activate the Swing of Memories Spell card – which, like Birthright, allows me to return a Normal Monster from my graveyard – like the Blue Eyes I sent there with my Future Fusion!" The third and final Blue Eyes emerged, and Trueman's pale face went a little paler.

"I see the fear in your eyes, Trueman, and I have something to tell you – this is only the beginning. Now, I activate the Spell Card, Burst Stream of Destruction! I can only activate this card when I have a Blue Eyes White Dragon on the field – and it destroys all monsters you control, regardless of position, Type, name, race, gender… it isn't picky. Go, Burst Stream of Destruction!" The Blue Eyes gathered up its energies and released a ball of lightning that struck the Summoner Monk full in the face. He disappeared, along with the other two monsters, in the explosion of light. Merciless, Kaiba continued.

"With no monsters left, your Spirit Barrier is useless. Now, I activate my final Spell Card – Polymerization! I use this card to fuse all three of my dragons to form the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" With a roar that shattered every window in the office, the three-headed beast emerged. Six blue eyes fixed upon Trueman; six nostrils breathed in his smoky odor. 4500 Attack points, staring at him straight in the face. Kaiba didn't waste his time.

"Go, my ultimate beast! Destroy him!" The dragon's mouths opened, and three beams of energy lanced down, cutting through the thick black suit and blasting Trueman through the wall. His body dissolved into a wave of black cards, flowing in a cloud of darkness – but even that was obliterated under the power of Kaiba's beast, leaving nothing but the faintest of shadows behind. Kaiba's desk was blown backwards, computer monitor shattering on the wall; every picture on the wall fell, and the bookcase fell over, spilling hundreds of volumes across the floor. Kaiba's trench coat billowed around him, and, for a moment, he felt alive again. He knew he was doing good again.

He walked through the ruined door, into the devastated hallway. Evidence of dueling was everywhere; from the looks of it, Trueman had taken them all down, one at a time. He could see the damage on every surface; wall, ceiling, floor… everywhere. Not one of his workers was anywhere to be seen. Not even… what was his name? His bodyguard, his friend… but somehow, the memory escaped him.

Strange. Looking around, Kaiba could see every cubicle in the entire floor – but he could not recall the name of a single person who worked on this floor. He had conducted the interviews and done the hiring himself… but not a single name came to mind. Not a face, not a name, not an idea… nothing but a vague shadow. He glanced at the name plaque on one cubicle; it was blank.

Just who was Trueman?

Crossing over to the window, Kaiba looked down at the city of Domino. It was deserted. Not a single person walked its streets; not a single car made its way along the road. The signs were still lit, the doors to shops still open – but there was nobody to be found. There was just him.


	2. The Gathering

** Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, cards, plotline, or anything else.**

** Author's Note: Thanks to Blue-Red-Ninja, WhiteAsukaLover, Maxim and Knight, and Taiwan-chan for their reviews – they mean a lot. Enjoy the next chapter!**

Kaiba walked through the dazzling city of concrete and skyscrapers, a land of glittering sidewalks and bright neon signs. No cars passed through the worn streets; no pedestrians strolled along the lonely sidewalks. No birds fluttered through the empty tree branches that rustled in the slight breeze. No barking of dogs or It was all gone. The city of Domino, once bustling and prosperous, was empty. It was as if none of its citizens had ever existed.

Worse, he could not remember a single one of them. He had interviewed and hired every last one of his workers personally – and he could not recall a single one of them. He had made business deals and held board meetings with the most powerful and influential people alive – but he could not recall a single one of their names. Even his own brother, the one person Kaiba really cared about, was nothing but a vague shadow. The only faces he could bring to mind were the faces of the dead, the lucky ones who had passed away before Trueman had gotten to them. Every last person Kaiba had ever known was gone, as if they had never existed.

Save for one. And that one was Yugi Mutou.

Trueman had taken on Kaiba with a deck full of random cards, and he had done quite well with it. But with a deck of real cards and a real strategy, Kaiba knew that Trueman would be virtually invincible.

But he had watched Yugi duel over the years, and he had seen incredible things. He had watched Yugi defeat Slifer the Sky Dragon without summoning a single monster. He had seen him channel the incredible powers of the Egyptian gods against those who opposed him. He had defeated Dartz, even without the gods, when Kaiba himself had failed. He had brought Anubis to his knees when the sorcerer had a monster with over 35,000 attack points. Even Trueman wouldn't be able to defeat Yugi.

But Kaiba still hoped that there would be others, duelists out in the world that were strong enough to defeat Trueman. If so, he would find them all and gather them here. But first, it was time to see just how far Trueman had gotten before he worked up the nerve to challenge Kaiba himself. It could be that it was only regional – at least for now.

Kaiba abruptly ceased his random wanderings and walked into a Starbucks. He pushed his way through the swinging door behind the counter and made himself a cup of coffee, leaving the money next to the cash register. Then he sat down and pulled out his laptop.

Quickly, he logged himself into a KaibaCorp satellite and activated its camera setting, then turned it to face the earth. He saw nothing but brown and green, grey and blue. Fingers flying over the keyboard, he quickly zoomed in and scanned the nearby towns. Every light was off, every house dark, and nothing moved but the trees and the wind. Kaiba scowled and moved on.

Over the next two hours, Kaiba scanned the globe, first visually, then with a thermal scan. He used twelve different satellites, and searched every last continent and country in the world. There was no city untouched. Every last community of humans had been defeated by Trueman.

So Trueman had already taken out the bulk of humanity. So it was just the individual duelists that he was looking for, the talented few with the power to defeat him. The first thing he did was scan the pro league standings. Only two names remained: his own and that of Yugi Mutou. Every other professional, then, had been defeated by Trueman and taken to the World of Darkness. Next, he searched the Amateur League, and found it completely blank. Kaiba's mouth twisted in a grim parody of a smile. He hadn't really expected anything else.

Next, he called up Google News, and, under search terms, entered, "Duelist". There were many articles featuring himself or Yugi; he changed the search to exclude those two names. There were now only three articles remaining: one about a boy named Jesse Anderson receiving a set of cards known as the Crystal Beasts, one about a boy named Atticus Rhodes being found in Duel Academy after many years missing, and finally, an article about a boy named Chazz Princeton returning to Duel Academy after a brief time in North Academy.

Kaiba nodded in satisfaction. Duel Academy. If the records of these people still existed, then Trueman had – for now, at least – been unable to defeat them. But the Academy was another good lead – many promising duelists were sent there, and very few would yet be listed in a news article.

Now Kaiba called up a roster of all students currently attending Duel Academy. There were six: Atticus Rhodes, Chazz Princeton, Alexis Rhodes, Jasmine Nidaria, Mindy Fuhman, and Jaden Yuki.

He logged into another satellite and slowly turned it to focus on Academy Island. As the camera lens focused in, he jolted in surprise. There was nobody. On an ordinary evening, the place would be filled with students hanging out in front of the school – but on this evening, it was empty. Nobody was there.

Kaiba sighed in exasperation, then zoomed in even more, examining the dorm rooms. He started with Obelisk Blue, since all but Jaden Yuki were Obelisk Blue members. Although the satellite wasn't positioned well enough to see through the majority of the windows, Kaiba found a window with a mirror in it, and adjusted the angle minutely in order to see the rooms on the far side. Dimly, he could make out a few sleeping figures in one of the rooms on the girls' half, while, on the boys, he couldn't find any people. Then again, there were still several rooms that he hadn't been able to see into from the angle. Chazz and Atticus could still be in there.

He adjusted the angle of the camera and peered into the Slifer Red room that belonged to Jaden. The bed was empty, but, since his name was still on the list, Trueman apparently hadn't gotten to him yet.

Ah, well. The only other duelist, then, was Jesse Anderson – but North Academy, the school he attended, was in the Arctic, and Kaiba didn't have any satellites remotely near there. There never seemed to be much going on up there.

He tucked his laptop back into his briefcase and strode out the door, pulling out his cell phone as he went. He had Yugi's number programmed in his phone, just in case he ever needed it. Like now.

He dialed, walking towards KabiaCorp building as he went; his plane should still be on top. If so, he could fly to Duel Academy and get the students before Trueman found them.

"Hello?" It was the first time Kaiba had heard Yugi's voice in ten years. He hadn't really missed it much. The other duelist sounded a little bit tired and strained.

"Yugi. It's Kaiba."

"Kaiba! Are you all right?" Kaiba rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Let's try to think for a moment. I am talking to you, meaning that something is definitely wrong, because I wouldn't really want to in any other circumstances. On the other hand, I can still talk, so I'm probably not hurt. Does that answer your question?" Beneath his scathing sarcasm, Kaiba felt a little bit touched that Yugi did care what happened to him.

Yugi let out an annoyed hiss. "You haven't lost your tongue or your arrogance, I see. I kept calling KaibaCorp, but the phone just rang. Has Trueman challenged you yet?" Obviously, Yugi was wasting no time. Then again, the situation was urgent enough that they didn't really have time to waste.

"Yes, he's challenged me, and I beat him in two turns. Sorry about the phone – I have the company phone on the ground floor, and my secretary normally answers. Then she disappeared, and I haven't exactly had much spare time since then."

"He'll be back, you know," Yugi warned. "He gets better and better cards each time, and then he is harder to beat every time. We need to meet up. Are you in Domino?"

"Yes," Kaiba replied. "Where are you?" This in itself would be interesting – Yugi had left living with his grandfather and traveled to parts unknown for much of the past ten years, returning only to win a few tournaments here and there. Not even his lapdog, Joseph Wheeler, knew where he had gone.

"Peru," Yugi answered simply.

"Peru?"

"Peru."

"Out of idle curiosity, why Peru?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Yugi said, and Kaiba knew the other boy was smiling. "You probably wouldn't be interested in this sort of stuff, but I've uncovered some amazing legends about past battles fought here. You know the Nazca Lines? Well, they were reputably built to somehow contain an evil force by the Incas. Hence Peru. It was where the Incas lived."

"We can worry about the Nazca Lines bringing forth some evil spirit or another later. For now, we have a different evil… thing, for lack of a better word, taking over the world – again – and I think that takes precedent over a bunch of natives drawing in their sandbox." Kaiba grinned as he said the words, knowing how much they would annoy his rival. He turned the corner

A hiss of annoyance sounded through the phone. "Always the mockery. That was one thing I didn't miss. Anyways, we need to meet up," Yugi said. "Do you still have the Blue Eyes jet thing?" His tone was carefully neutral.

"Yes," Kaiba replied, as if that were obvious. "Where are you in Peru?"  
"Cuzco," Yugi responded. "Do you know where that is?"

"Of course," Kaiba said. "I know everything, remember? I have to make a stop at Duel Academy; I think some students might be there still. I'll be there in about six hours."

Suddenly, an explosion shook the entire street. Kaiba looked up to see the evening light up as the KaibaCorp building exploded, the glass shattering across the street. The immense dome atop fell, crashing into the street and crushing itself as it burned. For a full five seconds, Kaiba stood and stared at the building that he had virtually lived in for his whole life.

"Yugi? Hang on a second – I'll call you back." Kaiba hung up and slipped the phone in his pocket as he ran towards the tower.

About fifty feet away, he stopped and stared in shock. "No way," he breathed. As the building continued to explode, flames blossoming from every part, a tiny white gondola made its way down the tower's side towards him. As he watched, it broke and swung to the side, wildly out of control – but a dark figure leapt out of it, landing in a second gondola, which instantly began to plummet. Another explosion sent it flying, off its cable and through the open air. The figure – a boy, Kaiba saw – spilled out, falling helplessly towards the ground below. Kaiba sprinted towards him, but he already knew he would be too late.

Then, from nowhere, a white figure, twice the size of any man leapt from the smoke and caught the boy, carrying him towards the ground. About ten feet up, the figure disappeared, leaving the boy to drop hard to the concrete.

"Hey, you!" Kaiba called. "Are you all right?" He ran towards the boy who lay on the ground in front of Kaiba's burning building. As he approached, he noticed that the boy was wearing the Slifer Red jacket of Duel Acadamy. He had long brown hair falling across his face. Feebly, he stirred and climbed to his feet. Kaiba recoiled instinctively – for a moment, the boy's eyes burned green and orange. Then they faded back to brown, and he began to walk towards a red motorcycle parked on the street.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! What are you doing here? What just happened?" The boy seemed not to hear. Abruptly, he doubled over, eyes closed as if in agony. Then, slowly, he started towards the motorcycle.

Kaiba recognized his face from the files he had been looking at earlier; this was Jaden Yuki, probably the best duelist at the Academy and the one of the few to survive Trueman's attack. Chancellor Shepherd had said he was a good kid and a good duelist. So what was he doing in the KaibaCorp tower, and why was he ignoring Kaiba now?

"Jaden!" Kaiba stepped in front of the motorcycle. "Stop. I'm Seto Kaiba, and I'm trying to help you. What are you doing?" Jaden slipped the helmet over his head and gunned the engine. It was almost as though he couldn't see him or something.

Then he noticed the darkness hovering around Jaden's deck and his eyes, and the haunted, pained look in them. Somehow, Trueman's power was affecting him, in ways that apparently didn't allow him to see properly

"Jaden, there's something wrong. Just stay still." Kaiba had little hope of the boy actually hearing him. He seemed in his own world, cut off from seeing things as they really were. Jaden gunned the engine, and Kaiba threw himself aside to avoid the motorcycle as it shot forward. The boy wheeled it around and shot off towards the docks.

Kaiba growled in anger and picked himself off the hard pavement. He had a chance to save someone, and he had failed. Hopefully, Jaden was good enough to beat Trueman again. But without his jet, Kaiba couldn't get to Duel Academy. The place had no runway, no place for him to land.

However, if he… borrowed… another plane from the airport, he could still get Yugi.

Duel Academy would have to fend for itself for now. Hopefully, Kaiba could be back before anything horrible befell the remaining students.

He picked up his phone and dialed again. "Yugi."

"Kaiba. What is it? Are you coming?"

"There's been a bit of a complication. I'll have to appropriate another plane. Give me seven hours or so."

Then, with a crackling like that of burning wood, cards of darkness flowed together to form Trueman once again. He smiled grotesquely at Kaiba, the ridges around his mouth protruding. He raised his arm, and darkness pooled and reshaped into his dueldisk. "Seto Kaiba," he said. "We meet again.

Kaiba frowned in annoyance, and then put the cell phone on speaker mode and tossed it to the ground, allowing Yugi to hear everything that was going on. "Make that seven and a half hours," he commented. "One other little, tiny, insignificant thing I should probably deal with first."


	3. the Tower of Babel

Three years, hmm? It has been a while. Thanks to all of you - ALL of you wonderful, lovely, brilliant people - who were kind enough to leave messages. If not for you, this story would never have been continued. But I'm glad it has. Thank you. Thank you.

And how long until the next update, you may ask? Sometime this year, I hope.

* * *

"Kaiba, _careful!_" Though muffled, Yugi's voice was as insufferable as ever, and Kaiba mentally berated himself for being considerate enough to include the other man. It always did seem to come back to bite him. "He isn't constrained by our rules! He's not even from this planet! He's –"

" – dangerous," Kaiba finished calmly. "Not all of us are amateurs, Yugi."

"You don't understand!" The other man's voice verged on panic.

"Oh, I think I do," said Kaiba softly, a cruel smile gracing his face as he stepped forward. "So. Trueman, you demented, freakishly tall…thing. Have you come to be humiliated again?"

Trueman returned the smile, eyes hidden behind his dark shades. "Seto Kaiba." The voice was monotonous and bland, but there was still a darkness to it, an evil that set the duelist's teeth on edge. "No, I think not. This time will be your destruction."

"Bring it." Kaiba raised the curved dueldisk to his chest, anticipation burning in his belly, fire in his eyes. He had missed the thrill of confrontation and the stark raw emotion that accompanied the presence of the supernatural, though he would die rather than admit that to his eternal rival. Here, with adrenaline humming through his veins, he was more alive that he had ever been as CEO of Kaiba Corporation.

Trueman watched the dueldisk, a wry smile curving the side of his face. "You will not need that device, Seto Kaiba," he said softly. One gloved hand raised to point languidly at Kaiba's face. "You can simply die."

Yugi's shout of warning would not have been enough warning had Kaiba not already been on edge. One moment, there was air in front of him; the next, the air was rent in two, and fire spilled from a crack in the membrane of the universe, licking hungrily at the pavement before it lunged at the man like a living thing, hissing and spitting. Kaiba dove to the side, white trenchcoat billowing about his form, and the pillar of flame missed him by centimeters. He landed in a crouch. Trueman raised his hand again.

On Kaiba's dueldisk, a little light winked green.

The blast of pure darkness shook the street. Dust was blown from lampposts and porches, and plants withered and died. And Trueman, throughout it all – he was speechless.

For Kaiba stood tall and proud, his back straight, laughing. And at his side, wreathed in white fire, the dying sunlight reflected off its brilliant scales, hovered his ultimate monster. His first and only love. The White Dragon of legend.

"You see, Trueman, I've been thinking," the former CEO declared. "For most people, that wouldn't be too big of a deal, of course – but I'm not most people. You, Mr. T., are not from around here. Not this space, and maybe not even this time. The fact that you are here now means that something has _changed._ I won't pretend to know what it is. I won't pretend to know how, or why. But the fact that you are here means that certain, _other _sources of power are available. And that means that we don't have to follow the rules. We don't shake hands, shuffle decks, and ask nicely who wants to go first."

Trueman's lips curled in a sneer, but he said nothing. Kaiba flicked open his dueldisk and slipped the card back into his deck. "I've done my research. When you initiate contact, you challenge me, Trueman. You have the element of surprise. You have whatever hand you prepared, while I am completely unprepared. In theory. But there's more. You don't _have _a real deck, do you? Your deck is spiritual and insubstantial, and it is composed of every card that you have ever corrupted. Your monster, the Dark Archetype – that's your searcher. You abuse its effect in order to pull out whatever you need. You use it for its utility." Kaiba smiled viciously. "Coward. Are you that afraid of your own weakness? Come, Trueman. Fight me, as preceded by the Egyptian Empire and the Kaiba Corporation. And you are forbidden by the Ancient Rules to do anything but abide by them." Kaiba bowed mockingly. "And I will even allow you the first move."

Yugi whistled in appreciation. "It sounds like you've done your research, Kaiba," he said grudgingly."

"Not all of us spend our time studying drawings in the dirt."

"Touché."

"I summon the monster, the Skilled White Magician!" With a crackle of energy, the pale-robed magician appeared in the air, empty eyes boring into Kaiba. "Then I activate the Spell card – Future Fusion!"

"Oho," said Kaiba softly. "Taking a leaf from my book, are we?"

"What is he summoning?" the phone by the side of the roadway asked curiously.

Kaiba smiled without humor. "He just sent the Dark Magician and Buster Blader to the graveyard."

Yugi sucked in a breath. "The Dark Paladin. The ultimate weapon against a Dragon-based deck."

Trueman raised a finger, and a blast of green light washed across the abandoned roadway. "The Spell card known as Spell Power Grasp allows me to add two additional counters to the Skilled White Magician. With three counters, I can tribute him and use his soul to summon the next incarnation of your destruction. Come – Buster Blader!"

Kaiba watched, in awe despite himself. First came the sword, stabbing into the ground with such ferocity that the pavement cracked. The warrior, clad in massive purple armor, energy crackling with every movement, followed it, stepping from oblivion into existence.

"Your move."

Kaiba drew.

"This game has changed so much," remarked Kaiba. "It went five thousand years and remained constant, but give it ten years in the modern world, and the entire game goes to hell. Me, Yugi, the others – we thought we would have to rend apart our very souls, just to remain relevant. But the creator of this modern game – a man whose name I can't even remember, now, thanks to you – he refused to allow it. He allowed us to adapt, rather than change. _This _is proof of his existence. I activate the Continuous Spell card – the Sanctuary of the White Dragon!"

From the ground rose twin pillars of light that abruptly solidified into stone columns, emblazoned with the profile of Kaiba's beloved dragon. "This card is a bit tricky, so pay attention," said Kaiba smugly. "When this card is activated, I have first discard two cards, and then I send send four of the following spell cards from my deck to the graveyard: Ancient Rules, Burst Stream of Destruction, and the Swing of Memories. I'll choose two of the former and one of each of the other two. I've discarded the White Stone of Legend, Mr. Trueman – you know what that will mean. From my deck to my hand, I call your name, Kisara." A flicker of emotion crossed his face.

Trueman sneered. "And yet with that very move, you make your dragon useless. With two dragons in your grave, my warrior grows more powerful." The dark blader held up its massive sword, and purple flame blossomed from its tip, cocooning the metal in a nexus of power. "Where is the strength that you boast of, Seto Kaiba?"

"You've learned all the wrong lessons, you fool." Kaiba savored the taste of insults on his tongue, relishing the sense of contempt – an attitude that he savored, though it was frowned upon in the corporate world. He had so little chance to use his sharp tongue when office workers attempted to commit suicide after a mere hour of Kaiba's ranting. "You would be that idiot in school who takes chemistry and then runs around screaming like a little girl when a fire starts and you don't know how to put it out. I say 'would be' only because no school in its right mind would allow you within a mile of the premises."

"Your Duel Academy did," Trueman answered, smug malice radiating from his form.

Kaiba had to concede that point. "In retrospect, that probably wasn't the best of ideas," he admitted.

"They _didn't_ have a choice, Seto Kaiba."

Now Kaiba scowled. "If you're not going to be interesting when you talk, can we get back to killing each other? Or, rather, me killing you? I activate the effect of my White Dragon's Sanctuary: by returning one Dragon-Type monster from my graveyard to my deck; I can then banish my spell card, Ancient Rules and activate its effect directly. Do you know the Ancient Rules, Mr. Trueman?" Kaiba brought the card across his face, displaying the fierce dragon on the card. "This card belongs to an age before monsters required tribute to summon them – an age where friendship, not sacrifice, was all it took to bring monsters forth. In the name of Egypt and its successor, I invoke these rules now. Come forth – Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

The darkness was blown to shreds as the white dragon materialized above Kaiba's head, hissing at Trueman. Seto could feel the wind of the wingbeats upon his back. He could smell the sun and the sand and the desert on its white scales, and the hair on his neck prickled at the lightning that coursed through the air.

"Now for your little sword-waving cowboy. With no more Dragon-type monsters in my graveyard, your Buster Blader loses his little boost. Go, White Dragon." Kaiba closed his eyes and savored the explosion's echoing boom. He relished in the taste of burned air on his tongue, the smell of power heavy in the air. Most of all, he drew dark pleasure in the expression on the creature's face as its Life slipped from 4000 to 3400.

"One card set facedown is all I need. Make your move, Trueman." Kaiba folded his arms, and the dragon at his back settled onto his shoulder, sinking claws into his thick coat, half-raising its wings to catch the air and remain aloft.

"Your beast has no place here, Seto Kaiba. I draw." The card materialized from pure darkness as Trueman drew it from nowhere. "I activate the Trap card – the Tower of Babel!"

The sunlight was blotted out as a massive shadow fell across the street. Kaiba watched mutely as an impossibly high pillar of black stone rose from the earth, climbing into the sky endlessly, until it had vanished from his sight.

"Do you know the tale of the Tower, Seto Kaiba?"

"It's a kids' tale," the CEO replied scathingly. "The people of Babel tried to build a tower to reach the gods. For their arrogance, they were scattered across the earth, each with their own language, so that man might never again attempt such a venture."

"This is your Tower of Babel, Seto Kaiba. And when the fourth counter has been added, then it will spell out your doom. For when the final spell card is played, this tower will collapse, taking with it 3000 points of life from he who dared to continue. I activate the first Spell card - Monster Reborn!" From the earth sprang the purple-clad warrior once again, swinging its massive blade carelessly about. The dragon on Kaiba's shoulder snarled. "Now, Seto Kaiba – I activate the second spell card, the Book of Moon. Your precious dragon is changed to Defense." His eyes glinted nastily. "And the Buster Blader is strong enough now to destroy you. Go, Buster Blader. Destroy his precious dragon."

"Learn to play the game, Trueman. Activate, Negate Attack!" He raised a hand, and a void opened in front of him, swallowing the sword-shaped bolt of darkness before it reached the dragon crouched protectively on his shoulder. "You should never have shown me your plan – not until the instant you declared your attack."

Trueman set two cards facedown and then lowered the dueldisk. Kaiba didn't wait for an invitation. He drew.

"Activate. Shrink."

Kaiba blinked. The weight on his shoulder was abruptly much lighter. He glanced to the left, and his very own miniature Blue Eyes glared back at him, daring him to laugh. Kaiba smirked at it, and the dragon lashed its tail from side to side.

The tower of Babel teetered dangerously. One Spell card until collapse.

"You made another mistake, Trueman." Deftly, Kaiba sorted through his hand, made a decison. "Arrogance is a virtue, not a vice. You just have to be prepared for the moment when the sky falls on you. I'm disappointed. I had expected better from you this time around. Yugi, didn't you say this creep got better?"

Yugi's wary voice emitted from the phone. "He does. I don't know why he's being so predictable for you. Be careful."

"Hah!" Kaiba shook his head in disbelief. "Against a cautious opponent, your strategy may have worked, Trueman. I would hesitate. I would preserve my life, rather than trigger the Tower of Babel. But _my_ tower has already reached the sky. I activate the Spell card – Non-Casting Arena! Your sad little Shrink won't affect my dragon now, and it won't activate the _second _one, either! Activate, Sanctuary of the White Dragon! I return the Totem Dragon from my hand to my deck, and then banish the Ancient Rules to activate its effect. I special summon – the second Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

The black Tower cracked, splintered. And a thousand pounds of black marble crumbled and began its long descent to earth, amid ominous rumbling.

"Kaiba! What's going on?"

"His tower." Kaiba stared at Trueman, disgusted by the smug satisfaction on the other man's face. "It's a fricking huge, physical, pile of rocks. I'll be crushed. He baited me out, trusting that I'd want to crush him and his pathetic anti-dragon deck. Knowing I would ignore his Tower. His Paladin was never meant to come out."

"Then _run!_"

"Can't do that." Kaiba smiled without humor. "You know the Ancient Rules. If I run, I forfeit. And there's more than a match at stake. This is my soul. My past." He raised the dueldisk. "Sorry, Yugi. You'll have to find your own way back to Japan."

"Kaiba!"

The stones were ever closer.

"I activate the second effect of my Sanctuary. I can banish it, along with every Spell Card in my graveyard, to activate _this._ Burst Stream of Destruction. Your Blader can bathe in white lightning." Kaiba didn't even pause as the Buster Blader gave a cry of agony and disappeared in a torrent of fire. "But thanks to my Arena, my dragons can still attack. Go, white lightning. Destroy the only monster left. Trueman himself!"

"Kaiba, NO!"

He had time for a moment's satisfaction as his foe grimaced in pain, skin bubbling and distorting as the twin dragons buried him beneath a mass of fire and lightning. He had time for a single lucid, pure moment of sweet victory.

And then the black stones rained down like the meteors of old, and he knew no more.


End file.
